Game-board.



F. WAGNER.

GAME BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12. I913.

Patented Apr. 113, 1915;

2 SHEETS-$112111 1.

Q-rwemtoz ET ner".

F. WAGNER.

GAME B OARD. APPLICATION FILED APR. I2, 1913.

Patented @1213, 1915. ll 8 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Lwmm

r v FRANK WAGNER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

GAME-BOARD.

iaaeea Application filed April 12, 1913. Serial No. 760,775;

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK WAGNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Boards; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in game boards, and has particular reference to that type of such devices in which a number of nine pins are placed at one end of the board in position to be overturned by a top,

put into spinning motion at the other end of the table, and adapted to strike the pins after passing through a number of obstructions interposed between the pins and the starting point of the top.

As its principal object, this invention aims to provide a novel and convenient form of game board, in which the game apparatus and playing board therefor may be quickly and effectively hidden from sight by the closing of a top leaf; the top leaf being also arranged to serve as a top of an ordinary dining or library table.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of peculiar and novel forms and arrangements of obstructions placed between the ten pins and the top. y The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a application.

With reference to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views of which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts. view of the game table showing the game apparatus inits assembled position; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the game table; Fig. 4 is a front elevation of one of the obstruction partitions; Fig. 5 is a front elevation of another obstruction partition; Fig. 6 is a detail view illustrating in sections the manner in which the top of the part of this Figure 1 is a top plan Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

table is hinged to the apparatus box; and Fig. 7 1s a detail view illustrating the novel form of top employed in the playing of the i game.

Proceeding now to the description of the drawings, this invention includes three main elements, the game box, the hingedly mounted leaf top therefor and the game playing apparatus.

Taking up the various elements in the order named, the game box, consists primarily in a wooden 'or metallic box member designated as an entirety in Fig. 1 by the numeral 1, preferably formed of glass,-tin or sheet metal, although any other desired and suitable material may be employed. This box member 1 is provided with the customary bottom Wall 2, longitudinal side walls 3 and 4, and end walls 5 and 6, the entire structure being supported in spaced relation from the floor or ground by suitable table legs 7, preferably secured to the box on the long sides thereof and adjacent the terminal of the sides. In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the bottom wall 2 is covered wlth a fabric or paper carpet A, upon which are fashioned characters indicated at B. The

is secured between the walls of the box, that; I.

is the end and side walls of the box rest upon the edges of the carpet and secured in position. the game playing apparatus to be hereinafter described and asa means for quickly converting the structure from gameboard into an ordinary table, there is 'provlded a plate glass cover C is mounted over the carpet Within this box member 1 is arranged leaf top 8, similar in construction to the top I of any ordinary table, and hinged to one end of the box as illustrated in detail in F ig. 6. The hinged connection for the member 8 1ncludes a pair'of l..-shaped hinge plates 9,

bolted, screwed, or otherwise secured to the upper edges of the side members 3 and "4 of the box, and-disposed withthevertical leg I of the plate in vertical extension from the box. To the free end of the vertical. leg of the plate 9 is pivotally connected a secondary hinge plate 10 secured by'screws or'other suitable means, as at 11, to the adjacent end,-

of the leaf top 8. It will be readily observed that this type of hinged connection between the box and the member 8 permits the leaf to be swung upwardly and subsequently downwardly upon the hinge, bringing the leaf top into a vertical position and in downward extension from the box. method of mounting the leaf provides effective means for permitting access to the game box and for disposing the top out of the way of the players. 1

Coming now to the game apparatus, this feature of the invention includes the nine pins 12 arranged in any desired formation within the box 1 and at one end' portion thereof. A top plate 13, which is preferably a planoconvex bulb, from the plane face of which projects a downwardly extending spindle 14, is arranged at the start of each game inthe opposite end of the box from the nine pins 12, and is adapted to be set into spinning motion-by the operation of a spinning cord 15, one end of which is equipped with a suitable ring grip 16. The

cord member 15 plays through a suitable opening 17 formed in the adjacent end arm 5 of the box. As a means for adding perplexity to the game and for making the overturning .of the nine pins a more difficult and interesting procedure, I have provided a pair of removable obstruction walls 18 and 19, mounted laterally within the box as regards the longitudinal axis thereof, and disposed in vertical position, both partition members being spaced from the end walls 5 and 6 and from each, for-a purpose to be hereinafter described. The partition wall 18 is arranged adjacent the starting point of the top .and is provided with two arched openings 20 and 21 formed at spaced intervals and communicant at their lower terminals with the bottom wall 2 of the box. The partition 19 is similar in construction to the member 18, with the exception-that it is provided with three arched shape openings 22, 23 and 24, respectively, these openings being formed in the partition 19 in spaced relation to each other, and in staggered relation to the axis of the openings 20 and 21 taken in longitudinal alinement with the longitudinal axis of the box.

The actual structure of the invention being thus disclosed, it now remains to describe the operation of the various parts of the game apparatus and to enumerate the many advantages resulting from its peculiar and. novel features of construction. In playing the game the top leaf- 8 is first swung into uncovered position, as above 7 described, and the nine pins 12 are arranged in one end of the box. The top'cord 15 is then wound around the shank 14 of the top 13, being subsequently drawn. through the opening 17 with a resultant spinning of the top. .It will, of course, be apparent that This immediately upon receiving impetus from v of the game is, of course, to overturn as 'many pins as possible. The advantages of the peculiar form of partition walls employed in this invention now become apparent, for it will be readily discerned that the partition wall 18, which has only two openings, is placed in proximity to the starting point of the top, thus enabling a skilful operator to direct the top through one of thetwo openings. It is apparent that, since the partition wall 19 is farther removed from the top 13, than is the member 18, it is desirable that some means he provided for increasing the chances of the top to pass through the second obstruction. This member 19 has, therefore, been provided with an increased number of openings, but,

in order to prevent the passa e of the top through the second obstructlon, with so much ease as to make the game uninteresting, the openings have been formed in staggered relation to the openings of the first obstruction 18. It will also be noted that another element of uncertainty has been added to the playing of the game by the shape of the head portion of the top in the nature of a planoconvex head, thus making it necessary for the top to strike in one of the several openings at its exact center in order to pass through a partition. It will of course be apparent that if the players changed, as regards their relation to the pins and top, or may be entirely removed from the box.

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most efficient and practical; yet, realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various .minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What isclaimed is:

A game apparatus including a box member consisting of a bottom, side and end walls, the side and end walls being mounted upon the bottom, a fabric carpet mounted upon, the bottom wall of the box member desire, the two partitions 18 and 19 may be maaaae I v m and having its edges disposed between the partition Walls mounted in said box member hottom wall and lower edges of the side and engaging said transparent plate. 1t and end Walls of the box membef and in n In testimony whereof affix my signature engagement with said Walls, a transparent in presence of two Witnesses.

plate having a smooth surface mounted FRANK WAGNER. upon said carpet, characters mounted upon Witnesses: a the carpet and to have game members placed JOSEPH BECKMANN, thereover upon said transparent plate, and JOHANN ZIMMERMANN. 

